Buffalo launches its first portable SSD drive

Buffalo Technology has announced the availability of its first external solid-state drive. The MicroStation connects using USB and is capable of storing up to 100GB of data  32GB and 64GB versions are also available  within a compact and lightweight chassis.

While those capacities are modest by the standards of a spinning drive, there are other features inherent to SSDs that might tempt buyers, such as portability, shock resistance and power consumption. As for performance, Buffalo claims up to 35GB/s transfer rates if used with the companys proprietary TurboUSB technology  certainly not the fastest weve seen.

Other features include a wrap around cable for neater storage, Buffalos Secure Lock Ware Encryption for Windows and Memeo AutoBackup software with password protection. The new drives dont come cheap, though. Prices are quoted as being around $172 for the 32GB model, $346 for the 64GB model and $513 for the top-end 100GB version.